A Place in the Sun
by Larka18
Summary: A short story where two wolves, who's pach has been killed embark on a journey to find their place in the sun.


A Place in the Sun

A twig crunched underneath the strong paw of a wolf. He turned, startled, he curled back his lips to reveal ferocious teeth and pink gums that showed him to be a healthy adolescent male, not quite mature enough to take the role of alpha in the pack, the role he may one day take. "Who's there? Show yourself!" He spoke with words that could kill. Slowly but happily a female wolf showed herself from the darkness. She was pure white, but had blood marks over her in several places. She was the same age as the male, and showed the same potential of being an alpha in her pack. "What do you think you were doing? I might've killed you!"

"Sorry Bandach. I thought you'd be happy to see at least one of the pack." She hung her head low, like a puppy that had been scolded. "Where's the rest?"

"Dead." Those words rung round the whole forest, making it shudder. "Dead? All of them? Impossible Kipcha!"

"It's true! Why would I lie!"

"I don't know! What about your parents? They always got away, always!" Bandach was obviously stressed. "Dead. They couldn't get away, I only just got away and that's because I left the rest behind. They went back for the cubs and it cost them their life!"

"Then the hunters win again! Those dogs do that to you?"

"What do you think?" Kipcha was to hurt inside to argue anymore. She slumped herself down on the damp ground, and whimpered mournfully. Bandach came up her side and nudged her with his muzzle. "Get up. We must move on. The hunters could still be on our tracks." There was a soft sympathetic tone in his voice now, one Kipcha had never heard from Bandach before. Kipcha reluctantly got to her paws and looked ahead following Bandachs stare. "Where will we go?"

"Where your parents said. We're going to find a place in the sun."

"Bandach, don't be so silly. That's just an old cub story."

"Well they told it to us. They told us that one-day we were going to live in a place in the sun. They told your brothers and sister it as well."

"Yes Bandach, but it's not real. It's just a silly story. There's not really a place where a pack can live in peace and harmony, with endless deer to chase and the safety of knowing that a hunters never going to get them." Kipcha now had a sympathetic tone to her voice. "It's out there, somewhere, I just know it! We must find it!" Bandach raced off with an endless energy in his run nobody would know he'd just been fleeing for hours from hunters, desperately trying to save his own life. Kipcha called after him, but he couldn't hear her, there was only he and the wind. Kipcha ran after him, her pads were sore but she didn't want to be left alone anymore. Her parents left her alone, to fight for herself and she lost them. She wouldn't lose Bandach that was too much.

The days passed. The days grew into weeks. The weeks grew into months. The months grew into years. Bandach and Kipcha were now fully grown wolves, and in the prime of there lives. In these years Kipcha and Bandach had spent almost all their time together. They had both grown fonder of each other. They where no closer to their destination. Kipcha and Bandach where searching once again, but still to no avail. " Bandach. I've been thinking, and, well, you see-"

"Spit it out will you!"

"Well, I don't mean to upset you but we've been looking for this place for years. We've wasted half our lives looking, and still nothing. Don't you think we should settle down, find a den, and have our own pack-"

"Oh yes and be just like your parents! Only caring for the cubs! And end up dieing because of hunters!"

"No I never meant that! It's just that we're not going to find this place and it's just a silly dream!"

Bandach stopped in his tracks and Turned to face Kipcha, muzzle to muzzle. The look in Bandachs eyes was that of sorrow and anger. Kipcha stood there in all her glory; she had grown into a beautiful, strong, intelligent wolf. Bandach was handsome and extremely strong, he had his father's rougesque look to him. "Silly dream! Let me tell you Kipcha dreams are what keep us going! And don't deny it Kipcha! You still dream that the pack won't be dead and we could all be a happy family again! Don't you?" Kipcha didn't answer she just looked at her paws knowing he was right. Bandach lolled on to the end of the wooded area, and he stopped in his paw prints. "Bandach? Is everything alright?" She trotted up to Bandachs side. She followed Bandachs gaze. She saw a glorious sunny meadow with deer running. "We made it. We made it!"

"I never thought it could be true! But it is!" Kipcha and Bandach jumped up and down and ran through the meadow with never ending happiness, or so it seemed.

They had been at the meadow for weeks now, and no hunters. They were asleep in the cave one night when the sound of footsteps and the barking of dogs could be heard. "Bandach? Bandach, wake up." Her senses we're all awake and alert now. She kept nudging Bandach to wake him up, but he didn't wake he just groaned and rolled over. "Bandach you have to wake up!" She tried to say it as loud as possible but still as subtle as possible, so the dogs didn't hear her. Bandach still ignored her. Kipcha had had enough, she opened her mouth to reveal vicious teeth and she gave Bandach a quick nip in the haunches. "Ouch! Why the hell did you do that?" he yelped in pain. She pointed with her muzzle out of the dens mouth, Bandach stared in horror at the rampaging dogs, their mouths filled with saliva, ready to rip any animal to pieces. Their masters by their sides ready to shoot. "Quickly, we'll steal out this way."

"No Bandach they'll see us!"

"It's our only chance!" Bandachs face was full of despair and pleading, he desperately didn't want to lose Kipcha, not the way he lost the rest of his family. "Ok." Both of them padded slowly in the darkness, out of the mouth of the den. Being as quiet as they could they climed the rocks and stole into the mountain. "We made it!" Kipcha panted slightly louder than she should have, but what she did next was what gave it all away, she howled, it was a big loud howl of victory, but they weren't quite far enough away from the hunters to howl yet. The dog's attention was immediately drawn to the two wolves hidden amidst very few trees. "Run!" Was the only word that came out of Kipcha or Bandachs muzzle. They ran up the mountain to a grassy area, where all they could hear was the rush of the falling waterfall and the beating of their own hearts. "We've got to cross that river"

"Bandach no! We can't. We'll fall in and be carried away by the current of the waterfall and die!"

"Well it's better than being torn to pieces by those dogs. Besides there's some rocks, if we're careful we can cross them and get to the other side safely." Kipcha stood for a moment contemplating what would be a better end to her days. They soon heard the barks of the dogs approaching them, she had no time and she had to take the chance. "Ladies first." Kipcha pranced onto the first rock quite safely, then the next, and the next. Bandach was right behind her. She jumped again but this time the water rushed over the rock knocking her off and into the water. She clung 2 the slippery rock with her front paws, scrambling. Bandachs heart was in his mouth. She eventually hauled herself back onto the rock. She did the last massive jump onto the safe bank. Bandach crossed all the rocks, but when he got to the rock that Kipcha had fallen off he took a moment before jumping, but as he jumped he just missed the rock and fell into the rushing water. Kipcha saw this and she jumped onto the rock that was just before the fall, and as Bandach came past she grabbed his paw with hers. Bandach was now dangling over the fall only held by Kipchas paw. The water kept rushing over Kipcha trying to make her weaker, but it wouldn't work Kipchas heart was in control now. "Kipcha! I'm too weak! Leave me! Save yourself!"

"No! I won't! I can't! Your all I have left!"

"No Kipcha! You can have more! Remember that your parents would've survived if they hadn't gone back for the cubs, now save yourself. They're gaining! Let go Kipcha!" Kipcha reluctantly looked down sorrowfully at Bandach. She loved him. She didn't want to let him go, but it's what he wanted. "I love you!" The last words Bandach spoke before Kipcha let go of his paw. As the grey wolf disappeared into the mist, only his howl was heard, shaking the whole forest. Kipcha stared in despair. She wanted to die, but Bandach didn't want that. She leapt onto the bank once more. She stared over the river the dogs were almost there. "Bandach wanted a place in the sun, I'll find it." She ran with energy that she was surprised to have. She heard the yelps of many a dog as they died over the fall. She was safe, but she never stopped running.

Kipcha had run for weeks on end, searching, hoping. She only ever stopped for a drink or to hunt. She now had the tough rouge look to her. Her young body had aged with no rest, but she still kept going. "I've made it! I've made it this time." She wandered across a meadow staring blindly. She slumped herself down on the floor and closed her eyes. She was now in a place in the sun. Her body went back to a young, wolf, like she used to be. She was with Bandach and her pack now, she was safe. The wind stroked her white fur and motionless body. Her howl would be heard in the wind for all eternity. She had found a place in the sun.

By Annie Larkin 4H


End file.
